Spooler



Oct. 18, 1949. l. c. HowEs 2,485,382

SPOOLER Filed Nov. 20, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 f Oct. 18, 1949. vl. c. HOwEs 2,485,382

sPooLER e sheets-sheet :s

Filed Nov'. 2o, 1947 Oct.` 18, 1949. c. HowEs SPOOLER Filed Nov. 20, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 m u. 0o m .EQ m fir m lwaiaag 0. Howes. y /wm smu'w @wmf dinafaaeys l. C. HOWES SPOOLER oct. 1s, 1949.

6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filedl Nov. 20, 1947 Iavp 34.* 0. Holl/e6;

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SEOOLER 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Nov. 20, 1947 Irfuag Howea, by )fwd smzwmmr Patentecl Oct. 18, 1949 U NIT ED S TAT ES PTEN TA 0 2,485,382,

SPOOLER Irving C. Howes; North Andovery Mass., assignor to Davis & Furber Machine Company, North Andover,y Mass., acorporation of Massachusetts Application November 20, 1947',` Serialy No. 787,23l

14 Claims'.-

This invention relates to a spooler employed.

in winding a plurality of yarn ends onto a large spool oi the type in which the yarn. mass being Wound rests upon a. driven; drum and: is Wound thereby onto: the' spool..

The object of the invention is to provide such a spooler adaptable to a wide rang-e' of condi-- tions and readily adjustable to run at high speed'. and as high a speed' as. the conditions of the. yarn prevailing willi warrant.

The object oi the invention is further to` provide such a spooler which may readily and easily' be handled bythe operative and! in which all. controls and adjustments are easily reached and manipulated.

The object of theV invention is further' to. provide means for positively feeding the yarn ends; to the spool so as: to relieve the spool from the: strain of drawing the yarn ends from tl'i-e Creel. or other suppl-y, and further' to provide means for readily and accurately controlling the ten-1v sion of the yarn ends as they pass*` tos the spool'n The obj-ect of the invention is further to providev means for maintaining a constant pressure of' the spool against the drum during-f wind-- ing operation so as to= secure, especially in connection with the control of the tension, an evenly.' compacted massi of yarn.

The object oi the invention is` further toipro- Vide power operated means,l more particularly fluid operated means, and specifically compressed air operated means for maintaining the constant required pressure oi? the yarn oi; theaspool against the drum during the winding operationv and also for raising' andA dofng-the wound; spool",y andalso for placing an emptyI spool in winding position.

The object of the invention further to pror-p vide a novell track supporting structure both for the wound spools andthe empty spools so positioned as: to enable the readyA reception oi the doiied woundspools and the ready replacement.` oi the empty spool?.

rlihesel and other' objects: and features of. the invention will appear more fully from: the accom-1 partying description and drawings and will; be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate a. preferred forni of. construction embodying, the various features of the invention andv in. which compressedemployed, as: is'. -preierredgy in the: power operated means, for' controlling the pressure of the spool on. they drum andi tor controlling the doiilng of the wound. spool and the replacement ot the:

empty spool.r TheV spooler is shown. further' as 55l 2 of that type which eachyarn end is viti-'atedi asvit is wound so that each endI winds into an: individual cheese or disk on the spool, thusc enabling any number of these cheeses or disks to be `removed from the spool in connection with; subsequent operations such as Warp beaming.V

The spooler may, of course, be made of any standard size and oi the usual materials ernployed such an apparatus. It is' necessary,` therefore, only to describeA in detail those features of'V the apparatns with which this invention isparticularly concerned', other' features of the con.-r struction being well known and familiar to those in the art..

In the drawings Fig.. 1f is a View in perspective looking toward the iro-nt and left hand side: of a. spooler embodying al preferred form of the invention;

Fig; 2 is a: detail in front elevation illustratn ing the means for vibrating. the yarn ends as. they are wound;

Fig. 3 is a view of the spooler in front4 elevation with the main casing removed;

Fig. 4 is a topfv plan view with the casing removed'ia'ndwith the centralportion ci the spooler broken: away;

Figr 5 is a view in leit hand side elevation with the casing' removed showing the elementsin positi'on at. the beginning oi the.- win-ding operation;

Fig. 6r is'- a View similar to Fig. 5 showing. the eiements in' position at the end of the winding operation;

Fig; 'l isa detail top plan View and partially in section showing the construction at the left hand end or the feed and cooperating rolls: with. the means of; adjusting the latter roll;

Fig. 8 is a View in side elevation of a portieri` of the elem-ents showing the position when the ends: are being tied/.on the wound? spool and the spool; is about tobe doied;

Fig.- 91' is a similar View showingthe elements` in position .as the empty spool is being placed inthe spool.` supports and before thev spool has: been moved dow-n to winding position;

Fig. 10 is a View' in section: illustrating an. adjintable pulley for varying the speed of the feed roll..

The mainportionoi the machine is supported. by a.. suitable frame with ay casing enclosing the gears, belts and other elements located at the' sides. and alsol the motor, pipi-ng, electronic stop motion controlling mechanism and' other teatri-Jes conveniently located at the bottom of the machine.

This frame; which may' be of' any suitable construction for the purpose, comprises the side frame members I and 2 in which are journaled the various shafts and upon which are conveniently mounted other elements of the machine as hereinafter set forth.

The ends of yarn drawn from a suitable creel or other supply support pass through separate thread guides at the front of the machine, under and around the measuring and feed roll, over the cooperating adjustable toproll, through the drop Wires of a stop motion mechanism, thence through a Vibrating thread guide and Wind on to the jack spool held with the required pressure by a novel feature of this invention against the surface of the winding drum.

The winding drum 3 is of the usual construction and is carried by a shaft 4 journaled in suitable bushings in the side frame members I and 2. At the right-hand end it is provided With a pulley 5 preferably driven by a belt 6 from a pulley 1 mounted on the shaft 8 of an electric motor 9 located beneath the machine. The other elements of the machine are preferably driven from the shaft 4 of this Winding drum. The speed of rotation of the drum 3, and consequently the speed with which the machine is operated, is adjustable and in this case this adjustability of the speed is preferably secured by varying the speed of the motor. For this purpose a knob I is shown at the right-hand side of the machine acting through a suitable rheostat II to adjust the speed of the motor as required.

As best seen in Figs. and '7 the ends I2 of the yarn lead from a suitable creel or other supply through, and are maintained separated by, selfthreading guide eyes I3 mounted in a flat blade I4 at the front of the machine. This blade extends at each end, and is pinned, into bushings I5 r0- tarily adjustable in the side frame members I and 2 so that the position of the guide eyes may be adjusted as required.

. The measuring feed roll I6 is secured to a suitable shaft I'I journaled at its ends in the side frame members and is shown as driven at the left-hand side by a pulley I8. The cooperating adjustable top roll I9 is carried by a shaft 2D journaled in the ends of arms 2| which arms are journaled on the bushings I5. The arms 2| are provided with lugs 22 in which are mounted Vertical set screws 23 seated on projections 24 from the side frame members. Thus the top roll I9 may be accurately adjusted with respect to the feed and measuring roll so as to maintain a light pressure on the yarn ends and give the light pinching action necessary for securing the proper feeding action and maintaining the proper tension on the yarn ends.

From the feeding and measuring roll with its cooperating adjustable top roll, the yarn ends preferably pass through the drop wires of a, suitable stop motion mechanism as shown in Fig. 4. These drop wires 25 may be of a generally familiar type straddling a metal bar 26 insulated at the sides and mounted at its ends in brackets 2l secured to the side frame members. At each side of and spaced from this bar 26 are the usual parallel supporting bars 28 also mounted in the brackets 2l. When an end breaks, the drop Wire supported thereby makes an electric contact with the bar 26 closing a circuit extending in this case to an electronic stop motion mechanism 29 which may be of a standard type and which functions automatically and immediately to stop the rotation of the motor 9.

l.From the drop Wires of the stop motion mechanism, as best seen in Fig. 2, the ends pass through the guide eyes 30 carried by the vibrating or longitudinally reciprocating bar 3| mounted to slide endwise in slotted brackets 32 secured to the side frame members. This bar 3I is supported in the slotted brackets 32 by a plurality of arms 33 clamped on a rod 34 extending beneath and parallel therewith and mounted to slide in the frame side members. At its lefthand end this rod 34 extends through the side frame member I and its end 35 engages the face of a cylindrical cam 36 and is held there-against by a spring 36|. The cam is journaled on a stud shaft 37 projecting from the side frame member I and has secured thereto a pulley 38. Consequently when the pulley 38 is rotated, the bar 3I with the thread guides 3D is reciprocated causing each end to wind an individual disk or cheese of yarn. By providing a suitable cam these disks or cheeses may be formed with a quick or slow traverse, and any required number of ends may be taken off from the spool, some at one time and some at another as may be required.

As best seen in Figs. 5 and 6 from the thread guides 30 the yarn ends pass to the jack spool, the core 39 of which rst, and then the mass of yarn as wound thereon, rests upon the surface of the driving drum 3. These spools are of the usual construction having the heads 4D spaced to straddle the ends of the driving drum.

The elements of the machine thus described are preferably driven from the main shaft 4 of the driving drum by V-shaped pulleys, and the V-shaped belts 4I and 42 cooperating therewith and with a series of V-shaped pulleys. As illustrated the belts 4I extends around the pulley 43 secured to the shaft 4, thence around an idler pulley 44 journaled on a shaft 45 adjustably mounted on the side frame member I so as to maintain the belt tight, thence around the pulley 38 which rotates the cam 36, thence around a pulley 46 journaled on the side frame member I, and thence back to the pulley 43. A second pulley 4I is secured to the pulley 46 and the belt 42 extends around this pulley 4l and the adjustable pulley I8 by which the feeding and measuring roll I6 is driven.

A clock or counter 48 for measuring the yardage wound is shown as driven by a chain 49 extending around a sprocket on the shaft il.

An important feature of the invention resides in the fact that the yarn ends are drawn from the creel by the feeding and measuring roll and its top cooperating roll and are thus fed thereby under a tension controlled by the speed of the rolls to the bight of the winding drum and spool. This insures an even Winding under uniform tension of the yarn on the spool and in practice enables a larger quantity of yarn to be Wound on the spool than has heretofore 'been the practice. It is in fact practical, with the accurate control thus obtained by this invention, to wind the yarn on the spool so that the diameter of the yarn mass is substantially greater than the diameter of the spool heads.

lThe transfer of the draft on the yarn ends, required to deliver them to the spool, from the Winding drum and spool to the measuring and feed roll and its cooperative top roll, and the accuracy with which the tension is controlled, enable these highly desirable results to be secured. The specic means illustrated, but to which the invention is not restricted, for adjusting the speed of the measuring and feed roll I6 is a standard mechanical device, namely, ad-

instable` V--grooved pulleys for the V-shaped belt 42. The.- pulley i8' is lillustrated. as thus adjustable andthe same construction may bev applied .tof thev pulley 41. As shown. in Fig. 10 the pulley i8. is formed in two sections, they section 50 being` secured to. the shaft I1 of the measuring and feed roll, and the sectionll having: the. hub 52 fitting over and adjustable. upon the hub 53v of the section 50 and adjustable thereon. Thus they v-shaped belt 42. may be adjustedto travel slightly-nearer to or further from the periphery of the pulley and thus accurately adjust the. speed. of the feed and; measuring' roll.

The adjustment provided for the cooperating top roll as by means of the set screws. 23 enables :lust sufficient pressure to be placed upon the yarn ends to secure the required feeding func.- tion and maintain the required tension between the feeding and measuring roll and the yarn aS it winds upon the spool.

The mechanism employed inthis invention for maintaining a constant and required pressure of yarn mass of the spool upon the Winding drum is operated by fluid under pressure and preferably pneumatically or by compressed air and the same mechanism is also arranged to provide for they ready doflng of the fully wound spool and the replacement upon the Winding drum of the empty spool.

At the rear of the machine a suitable framework is provided for supporting both the supply of empty spools and a group of the Wound spools. This framework essentially is provided with a pair of parallel tracks 6D' extending from adjae abovethe tracks 60 and sloping slightly forward,

and in the grooves of these tracks 62 rest the headset the supply of empty spools. A shaft 63v extends through the forward endsof the tracks 62 and has mounted thereon curved grooved abutments 64 constituting prolongations of the track 62. Thesev abutments are normally held by the spring 85 in elevated position and thus support the foremost empty spool in position to be discharged into engagement with the driving drum.

The gudgeons 66 of the spool being lwound rest in the upper seats of spool supports 61 secured to and projecting downward from an arm 68, one at each side. These spool supports also are shaped at the bottom to form gudgeon-supporting seats 69 and 1li. From the rearward seats 10 the supports open rearward to permit the gudgeons to move into and out of the supports.

A shaft 1l extends through and is journaled in the upper ends of the side frame members l and 2. The arms B8 are secured to this shaft, and at the outer side of the frame member l an operating arm 12 is secured to this shaft. Adjacent the-.arm 68 an upwardly extending arm 13 is journaled on the shaft 1l and is connected by a link 14 with the arm 1'5 secured to and extending upward from the shaft 63. A pick-v uparm 16 is secured to and rotarily adjustable upon the shaft 1|v as by means of a set screw 11'. This pickup arm 16 extendsy around behind the arm 13 and consequently will act to engage and .move the arm 13 forward when a suiiicient upward movement is given tothe operating um.

As previously set foi-thr important featuresob the invention reside inthe novel means for. securing and maintaining a constantl predetermined pressure of the spook or the yarn mass: being:

wound thereon against. the surface of the'driving drum; and in the novel means for securing. the .ready doiiing of the wound spool and the replacement of an empty spool. For these: purposes theinvention .provides fluid, and preferal'flyy pneumatic, actuated and controlled mechanisms.

preferably actingI tcv effect the desiredresults. through movement of the operating arm 12..

In -thepreferred construction illustrated'. a cy'- linder is pivotally mounted at 8i at its lower end to. a bracket 82 ysecured to and. projecting outwardly from the side frame. memberl.. A'4

piston |83' in the cylinder is provided with. a, pis-` ton rod 84 extending, through the upper end. oi;

the .pipe 86. From the pressure gauge the pipe- 86 extends to and is. connected to the main cornA trolling, valve 89 provided with an operatinghann dle 9B and located at the front of the frame of the machine in a position convenient to the operator. This valve is provided with two exit ports. one connectedwby Athe pipe 9| to the upper end ofthe cylinderl and the other by the pipe 92 to the lower end. of the cylinder 80. Byz operating the handle 9.0, the compressed air may thu-sy be connected to either end of the cylinder.:

Both of thev pipes 9|` and 92 are provided with standard speed regulating valves 93 set to prevent anysudden movement of the piston 83 and pipe 9| extending to the upper end of the cylinder:

isfprcvided with a relief valve 94 set just above the pressure inthe cylinder to balance the pres sure predetermined by the gauge 88 and reduc.- ing valve 8.1 thus preventing building up of pressure inthe cylinder during` the operation. of the..

machine.

At the beginning of the winding operation the; parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5,.and thevr operator has. turned the main Valve to cause. the

pressure to be applied through the pipe 9|to` they top of the piston. Since this pressure is main-l tained constant at a pre-determined amount, the

66v are pressed into the uppermost seat yof the recess in each spool support or spool holder 611.

The operator now has to cut and tie the ends... To enable this readily to be done, the operator turns the main valve to4 cause .thep-ressurezto be applied beneath the piston until, as it moves; the spool support 61, the gudgeons 66 drop into.v

the lower rearwardy seats 10 as shown in Fig. 8

and are lifted thereby slightly to clear lthe yarn;

mass of the. s-pool from the winding drum.

When the ends have been tiedl andthe filled. spool is ready to. be defied or dischargedv from.;

the machine, the operator operates the main. valveV to allow-the piston to move down slightly.

causingethe. periphery of theyarn mass to rest'.

upon thewinding drum periphery and thereupon the lled spool rolls out of the spool holders or supports B'I on to the tracks 60.

The operator then operates the main valve to causethe piston to move upward to its extreme upper position. 'I'his brings the spool supports or holders 61 into a position illustrated in Fig. 9 and'at the same time the pickup arm 'I6 has acted to swing the upwardly extending arm 'I3 to the right and move the curved abutments 64 into the position illustrated in Fig. 9. The parts are so proportioned that when they reach these positions, the empty spool standing on the forwardly sloping tracks 62 rolls down the curved abutments 64 and its gudgeons land in the seats 'I0 and finally roll into the forward seats 69. rIhe operator then turns the main valve causing the piston to move downward and the empty spoolV to be brought into winding position as indicated in Fig. 5, the gudgeons then rising as the spool core comes in contact with the winding drum into the upper seats in the spool holders 61.

The machine is readily controlled by the operator. The main valve is conveniently located at the front near the center, and adjacent to it is conveniently placed the switch box IUI) for controlling themotor.- As illustrated it is provided with three controls IUI, one forl starting and one for stopping `the motor, and one for what is known asinching enabling the motor to move slightly and stop as is often required in such mechanism.

The knob I0, by which the speed of the spooler is regulated, is also within easy reach of the oper, ator. The means for adjusting the position of the cooperating roll I9 with respect to the feed roll I6 is also positioned where it may be readily reached and operated. In fact all of the elements requiring any adjustment or regulation are positioned for ready manipulation by the operator. L

Thus the machine is under perfect control with respect to all of its functions.

lSince the yarn ends are wound under constant pressure and with an even regulated tension the yarn mass is built up into uniform compact form andas a result the maximum yardage is wound into the yarn mass onto the spool and in practice the diameter of the yarn mass may, and frequently is, wound to exceed the diameter of the spool heads.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a spooler having a driven drum on which the'yarn mass rests and is wound thereby onto thespool, a feed roll mounted in front of and parallel with the drum, a cooperating roll for the feed roll between which and the feed roll the yarn ends pass to the bight of the drum and spool, and means for driving the feed roll to cause the yarn ends to be fed by it and the cooperating roll to the bight of the drum and spool, the provision of mechanism for relatively adjusting the feed roll and cooperating roll to maintain the peripheries thereof out of contact but sufciently close to pinch the yarn' ends passing therebetween.

2. In a spooler having a driven drum on which the yarn mass rests and is wound thereby onto the spool, a feed roll mounted in front of and parallel with the drum, a cooperating roll for the feed roll between which and the feed roll the yarn ends pass to the bight of the drum and spool, and means for driving the feed roll to cause the yarn ends to be fed by itand the cooperating rollto-the bight of the drum and spool,l thelprovision of .mechanism for bodily adjusting the cooperating roll vtoward the feed roll to a position where the periphery of the cooperating roll is outof contact with the periphery of the feed roll but sufliciently close thereto to pinch the yarn ends passing between the rolls.

3. In a spooler having a driven drum on which the yarn mass rests and is wound thereby onto the spool, a feed roll mounted in front of and parallel with the drum, a cooperating roll for the `feed roll between which and the feed roll the yarn ends pass to the bight of the drum and spool, and means for driving the feed roll to cause the yarn ends to be fed by it and the cooperating roll to the bight of the drum and spool, the provision of arms one at each end of the cooperating roll in which the said roll is journaled, and a set screw `in `each armengaging the frame of the spooler adjustable to position the said roll with its periphery out of contact with the periphery of the feed roll but sufficiently close thereto to pinch the yarn ends passing between the rolls.

4. In a spooler having a driven drum on which the yarn mass rests and is wound thereby on a spool having heads and gudgeons extending beyond the heads, the combination of a shaft journaled above and parallel with the drum, a pair of arms secured to the shaft, gudgeon supports on the arms having open bearings for the gudgeons, a track to support wound spools extending rearward and downward from the winding position of the spool, a second track to support empty spools above the first track sloping forward and downward, and a power operated means connected to the shaft operable either to maintain the spool pressed against the drum during the winding operation or to raise the arms to a position to allow the wound spool to roll out of the open bearings onto the first track or to raise the arms to a higherfposition to allow an empty spool to roll from'- the second track into the open bearings.

5. In a spooler having the construction and combination defined in claim 4, curved abutments pivoted at the forward end of the second track and a connection therefrom operated by the shaft normallyto-hold `the abutments raised limiting forward movement of an empty spool on the track and to lower the abutments, when the arms are raised to the higher position, to support and guide the empty spool as it rolls into the open bearings.

6. In a spooler having av driven drum 0n which the yarn mass rests and is wound thereby on a spool having heads and gudgeons extending bef yond the heads, the combination of spool supports having bearings engaging the gudgeons, a cylinder and piston connected the one to the spooler frame'and the other to the spool supports, a main valve, and piping connections from a supply of compressed air to the valve and between the ports, a main valve, a main pipe for supplyingv compressed air to the main valve, a pipe from the main valve to one end of the cylinder, a pipe from the main valve to the other end of the cylinder, the said valve acting in one position to cause the compressed air to press the spool against the drum and acting in a second position to cause the compressed air to raise the spool above the drum.

8. In a spooler having a driven drum on which the yarn mass rests and is wound thereby on a spool having heads and gudgeons extending beyond the heads, the combination of spool supports having bearings engaging the gudgeons, a cylinder pivoted at its lower end to the spooler frame,- a piston in the cylinder with a piston rod connected to the spool supports, a main valve connected to a supply of :compressed air and to each end of the cylinder and operable to connect the compressed air to either end of the cylinder.

9. In a spooler having the construction and combination defined in claim 8, a speed regulating Valve in each connection lfrom the main valve to the cylinder.

10. In a spooler having the construction and combination dened in claim 8, a relief valve in the connection from the main valve to the upper end of the cylinder to prevent building up of pressure during the windingoperation.

11. In a spooler for winding a plurality of yarn ends upon a spool comprising a support at the rear for holding a wound spool, a second support at the rear for holding an empty Spool, and mechanism including a cylinder and piston, a main valve, and piping connections from a supply of compressed air to the valve and between the valve and each end of the cylinder acting by operation I of the valve to effect transfer of a wound spool from its winding position to the fn'st support and thereafter to effect transfer of an empty spool from the second support to winding position.

12. In a spooler having a driven drum on which the yarn mass rests and is wound thereby on a spool having heads and gudgeons extending beyond the heads, the combination of a shaft journaled above and parallel with the drum, a, pair of.

arms secured to the shaft, gudgeon supports on the arms having open bearings for the gudgeons,

a track to support wound spools extending rearward and downward from' the Winding position of the spool, a second track to support empty spools above the first track sloping forward and downward, a cylinder and piston connected the one to the frame of the spooler and the other to said shaft, means for supplying compressed air to the opposite ends of the cylinder and means for controlling the supply of compressed air to cause the relative movement of the cylinder and piston either to press the spool against the drum throughout the winding operation or to raise the arms to a position to allow the wound spool to roll out of the bearings onto the first track or to raise the arms to a higher position to allow an empty spool to roll into the bearings.

13. The combination in a spooler having a winding drum on which the yarn mass rests and is wound thereby onto the spool of a spool-supporting frame comprising a pair of parallel tracks extending rearward and downward from' the winding position of the spool to receive the wound spools, and a pair of grooved tracks above the aforesaid tracks sloping forward and downward to support therein the heads of empty spools and having at their forward ends grooved abutments normally acting to limit forward movement of the empty spools and movable into position to allow the foremost empty spool to roll into posi-s tion to be received by the spooler.

14. The combination defined in claim 13, together with an element connecting the said abutments to the spooler and actuated thereby to move the said abutments into position to allow the foremost empty spool to roll into position to be received by the spooler.

IRV'ING C. HOWES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Name Date 1,366,100 Rhoades Jan. 18, 1921 1,733,203 Remington et al. Oct. 29, 1929 1,949,997 Fourness Mar. 6, 1934 2,142,544 Whitener et al Jan. 3, 1939 2,194,078 Simonds Mar. 19, 1940 2,196,000 Richardson Apr. 2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 28,314 Great Britain Dec. 9. 1912 

